


Turn to Me

by Isra



Category: Rhett & Link
Genre: M/M, Snowed In, cuddling for warmth, minor blood, minor injury, so cliche but so good
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-02-13
Updated: 2014-02-13
Packaged: 2018-01-12 05:58:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,621
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1182714
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Isra/pseuds/Isra
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>This fic is set in the real world at the end of December 2013.</p>
    </blockquote>





	Turn to Me

**Author's Note:**

> This fic is set in the real world at the end of December 2013.

Link called Rhett the day after Christmas. It was the first time they had spoken since the self-imposed “radio silence” of no phone use for the Buick promotion, and it was surprisingly good to hear the sound of Link’s voice. He was calling to invite the McLaughlins over to his mother’s house for dinner that night. It was an unusual request, given that they traditionally used the Christmas break to enjoy some time apart from each other, but Link explained that the Neal kids were clamoring to see Locke and Shep, and he thought it would be a nice surprise for them. 

After consulting with Jessie and evaluating his own feelings about seeing Link, Rhett agreed. He admitted to himself that he was feeling a bit of withdrawal from his friend — it was always disorienting when they were apart for so long, but they had convinced themselves it was good for their friendship to take a break every year. He was relieved that Link had been the one to suggest a change in tradition. 

That evening, Rhett parked their rental car in Link’s mother’s driveway and grabbed the bag of gifts for the kids as Jessie got Locke and Shepherd out of the car. When he got to the front door, he knocked and opened it without waiting for a response, shouting a cheery “Merry Christmas!” as he stepped through.

Link’s answer came from somewhere further inside the house. “Hey! Merry Christmas!” The place smelled of delicious food, cinnamon and pine. It was warm and inviting after the wet snow outside, and Rhett grinned as he ushered his family in and closed the door. Happy squeals came from Lincoln and Lily as they recognized the voices in the foyer and ran toward the door. Rhett’s family stomped the snow off their boots and began taking them off as Link rounded the corner, Lando on his hip, the other two kids close behind. 

“Hi everyone. Welcome, welcome.” Link ruffled each boy’s hair and kissed Jessie on the cheek. Lando clung to him as he stepped up next to Rhett and squeezed his ribs in a side-hug, grinning up at him. “Hey man, long time no see.” 

Rhett put his arm around Link’s shoulders and returned the side-hug, jostling the smaller man with his enthusiasm. “Hey, Link. Hey, Lando.” The little boy turned a sleepy face into Link’s chest. Lincoln and Lily hugged everyone hello and began speaking excitedly to Locke and Shep.

Link dropped his arm from Rhett’s waist and turned to everyone. “You can toss your coats in the guest room and come on into the den.” He headed in the direction of the room in question. Rhett grabbed everyone’s coats and deposited them as instructed, then ushered all of the kids into the large room at the end of the hallway. 

The den had a large sectional couch along two walls. Christy was sitting on one end of the couch, shortly joined by Lily. Lincoln flopped onto the other half of the couch next to Link’s mother and stepfather. The remaining wall contained a fireplace with a cheerfully roaring fire, and a beautifully decorated Christmas tree stood in the corner. Locke and Shepherd had just sat down at the foot of the tree where the presents were within easy reach. Jessie was greeting the other people in the room and unloading the gifts they had brought. 

Rhett surveyed the happy scene with a wide grin on his face. Seeing their two families together in such a cozy setting made him feel like Christmas had finally arrived. It just wasn’t the same in sunny LA. 

The kids opened their presents amidst shouts of glee while the adults made small talk about family gossip and holiday chitchat. When everything was opened that could be opened, Link’s mom called for everyone to move into the dining room for dinner. Christy and Jessie went first, followed by the kids. As Link got to his feet and moved toward the doorway, Rhett was struck by a whim. Before he could really think it through, he said, “Wait up a minute, man.” 

Link stopped and turned to Rhett with a raised eyebrow. Rhett felt suddenly nervous. After all these years, he still felt a moment’s hesitation when proposing a new idea to his best friend. “I was just thinking, on Monday, we could go up to Pilot Mountain together, maybe spend the night in one of the cabins up there.”

Link smiled, but his expression was confused. “For what?”

Rhett thought quickly. He had simply felt a sudden desire to spend more time with Link, but it was easy to come up with a justification. “We need to focus on our plans for 2014. We can get away from everything and spend some time seriously thinking up new ideas.“ Link’s eyebrow remained raised as Rhett continued, “We could shut off our phones, stay off the ‘net... Just spend a big chunk of time brainstorming.”

Link considered the idea. “I thought we were supposed to stay away from each other while we’re home,” he eventually said.

Rhett nodded. “We’ve already broken that tradition, though. And it is really good to see you.” 

Link smiled. “Yeah, I didn’t realize how much I missed your stupid face until you came in the door.”

Rhett grinned back. Link continued, “It’s true, we haven’t come up with our big idea for the year yet. I want to do something awesomer than ever.” He scratched his chest thoughtfully. “I do have a few days of unstructured time before New Year’s. I’ll have to check with Christy, though.”

Rhett nodded. “Of course.” 

They joined the rest of their families in the dining room and enjoyed a wonderful dinner filled with laughter and stories from the children and Link’s mother’s famous country style steak. They ended the evening early, before the kids could get too restless, and the McLaughlins said their goodbyes.

The next afternoon, Link texted him to say that he could go to the cabin on Monday morning, so long as he was back by Tuesday night. They exchanged more texts to work out the details: Rhett would rent an SUV so their wives could keep their current rental cars and he and Link would have something that could handle the mountain snow. He would pick Link up early on Monday from his father’s house. 

Rhett called the park ranger station and reserved the cabin for the night. The secretary made sure he knew the conditions at the cabin would be somewhat primitive, with only enough electricity for essentials and a wood stove for heat. “Perfect,” Rhett told her. 

Sunday night, he checked the weather forecast and saw they were predicting snowfall on the mountain. He told himself it wasn’t a big deal, that they would be fine. He wasn’t willing to call off the trip now… but he did toss some extra blankets into the backseat of the car just in case. 

Dawn was breaking as he pulled into Link’s father’s driveway. He parked, went to the door, and opened it with a soft knock. Most of the lights in the house were still off, but there were sounds of activity in the kitchen. Rhett closed the door and headed that way to see Link pouring coffee into a travel mug. He wore a brown plaid flannel shirt and dark blue jeans. His hair was damp and he looked half-awake, but he smiled as Rhett entered the room. 

“I thought we were gonna get to sleep in on our vacation,” Link said, mock-complaining. 

Rhett chuckled. “If we get enough accomplished today, I promise I’ll let you sleep in tomorrow morning.” 

Link screwed the top onto his travel mug and slung a backpack over his shoulder. “Deal.” 

They got into the SUV and drove the two and a half hours to Pilot Mountain State Park. Once they got on the highway, Rhett put some Merle Haggard on the stereo and they sang along together. They reminisced about their recent brief encounter with their childhood idol, talking about how things might have gone differently, then reassuring each other again that what had happened was probably for the best. 

Like always when they drove together, time flew by without either really noticing. As they entered the foothills of the mountains, fat snowflakes began falling from the sky and melting on the windshield. Link pointed them out, voice tinged with concern. “Are we gonna get a lot of snow, do you think?”

Rhett fidgeted with the steering wheel. “Actually, they are predicting a bit of a storm.” 

Link turned to him. “What? You sure this is a good idea?” 

Rhett dismissed his friend’s worry with a wave of his hand. “It’ll be fine. This baby can handle it.”

“You don’t have a lot of practice driving in the snow anymore, man.” 

“It’s not supposed to start coming down hard until after we’re settled in. Don’t worry about it.” 

Link took a deep breath and blew it out through pursed lips, shaking his head, but he didn’t say anything more about it. After another half hour or so, they pulled up to the ranger station at the base of the mountain. Snow gusted into the window when Rhett rolled it down to hand his license to the park ranger. The man greeted them with hearty North Carolina cheer, welcoming them to the state park and checking off Rhett’s name on a clipboard. 

As he handed Rhett’s license back to him along with a pair of keys on a keychain, he said, “Now, you boys know this storm could be pretty bad tonight, right?” 

Rhett nodded. “Yes sir, we’re prepared.” Next to him, Link shook his head dubiously.

“Well, if you run into trouble, there’s an emergency radio and a crank flashlight in the supply closet, along with an axe if you need to chop more wood for the stove.”

Rhett thanked him and rolled up the window. As he started driving up the winding mountain road, he said cheerfully, “See? We’ll be fine. There’s an axe.”

Link scratched at his chest. “I don’t ever want to hear the word ‘axe’ again.” 

Rhett laughed. “Has your hair started growing back yet?” 

“Not really, but it itches like the dickens.” 

Rhett rubbed at his own chest. “Yeah, mine’s getting there too.” He grinned evilly. “What did Christy think of it, anyway? Did she like her fourteen—” 

Link held up a hand. “Stop there, man. I can’t believe you’re still trying to make it weird. It’s like you’re obsessed with prepubescent boys.” 

“It’s not weird to talk about what your wife may or may not be into. We used to talk about that kind of thing all the time.”

“Yeah, when we were _actually_ fourteen.” Rhett laughed in response. Link continued, “Besides, I could be completely hairless and it would still be obvious that I am a fully grown man with all the _virility_ that entails.” He over-enunciated the word, making it sound especially lascivious. 

“Oh ho, is that so?” Rhett looked over to see Link looking at him defiantly, cheeks flushed.

“Yeah, man,” Link said. “You look pretty different from when you were that age too, you know.”

“Aw, Link, I didn’t realize you’d noticed.”

“Maybe we should do a new challenge next year and the loser has to get a full-body wax this time. We’ll see who’s the real man then.” 

Rhett laughed again. “I can only imagine who we’d get to sponsor that one.” 

Link sounded more cheerful now that the conversation had moved on from his personal anatomy. “Yeah, we probably wouldn’t be able to air the whole thing… and poor Jason might never forgive us for having to edit it.” 

They talked around the idea a bit more, getting increasingly silly about it as they wound further up the mountain. It was almost noon by the time they pulled up to the small cabin set back from the road. The snow was coming down heavily and starting to accumulate on the ground. 

They got out of the car and grabbed their bags. Rhett unlocked the cabin door and pushed it open. He fumbled around the inside of the doorframe until he found the light switch and flicked it on. A yellow bulb in the ceiling joined forces with the dim sunlight through the frosted windows to illuminate the large room in front of him. A big overstuffed couch and two armchairs faced a wood stove against one wall, a generous stack of firewood piled a safe distance away. A galley kitchen ran along the opposite wall, with an electric range top, a cube fridge, and a small sink. A round table and two wooden chairs comprised the dining area. 

The inside of the cabin felt nearly as cold as the outside. Rhett could see his breath in the air as he slung his backpack onto the couch and strode across the room. There was a small hallway off the kitchen area that had three doors heading off it. Rhett opened one to reveal a closet with the promised axe and other emergency gear on the top shelf and a snow shovel leaning against the inside wall. The door across from the closet contained a spartan bathroom with a narrow shower. 

The bedroom was behind the third door at the end of the hallway. Rhett pushed open the door and then stopped and said, “Oh.” 

Link, right behind him, almost crashed into his back. “What?” he asked, then peered around Rhett’s shoulder. They contemplated the single queen-sized bed for a few seconds in silence before Rhett shrugged. “Well, we’ve shared smaller beds before. At least this way we’ll be warmer.” 

Link said wryly, “Did you even ask if they had a cabin with two beds?” 

Rhett shook his head sheepishly. “I honestly didn’t think about it.”

“I guess it’ll be fine. There’s always the couch if you start snoring too much.”

Rhett laughed. “For you, or for me?” 

“You, of course.” Link poked him in the arm.

They went back to the main room and built a fire in the wood stove, stomping their feet and rubbing their hands to stay warm until the stove had put out enough heat they could stand to take their jackets off. Soon the place felt nice and cozy. 

While Rhett tended the fire, Link made some hot chocolate for both of them. He handed Rhett a steaming mug before sitting down on the couch, feet up on the coffee table and head leaned back. “This is comfy,” he said. “I think I might take a nap.” 

Rhett sat next to him and smacked his thigh. “Nope, we need to come up with some ideas first. This is a working trip, remember? I need to be able to expense it.” 

“Oh, I see how it is.” Link rolled his eyes, but sat up a little straighter and cupped his hot chocolate between his hands. Rhett took out his laptop and opened it up to take notes. 

For the rest of the day and into the evening, they tossed around what must have been hundreds of ideas for what to do in 2014, from the obvious to the utterly ridiculous. Rhett plugged his iPod into his battery-powered speakers and put Merle on in the background while they talked. Naturally, their conversations frequently diverged into reminiscing about childhood experiences or goofy arguments about deep philosophical issues, but even those were useful fodder for future GMM episodes.

Rhett cooked macaroni and cheese for dinner and they ate it on the couch, still talking. As Link paused in the middle of a bite to laugh hysterically at something stupid Rhett had just said, Rhett was struck by how wonderful the day had been so far. It had been so long since they had been able to focus on each other and talk for hours like this, without the constant interruptions of family and business demands. He briefly imagined how different things would be if their lives were simpler, if they could be together like this all the time. Maybe in an alternate universe, he thought, they were.

They ended the evening reasonably early, deciding to call it quits after their ideas became increasingly silly and unfeasible. They decided to watch a few episodes of Breaking Bad to unwind a bit. Link made them another round of hot chocolate and they settled on the couch with Rhett’s laptop playing on the coffee table. Halfway into the first episode, Link yawned and leaned his head on Rhett’s shoulder. By halfway through the second episode, he was asleep.

Rhett prodded his leg as the credits rolled. “C’mon, man, it looks like bedtime.” 

Link blinked up at him with a soft smile. “Was I good enough? Do I get to sleep in tomorrow?” 

Rhett patted his knee. “Sure, buddy, you can sleep as late as you want.” 

Link stood up and shuffled off toward the bedroom. Rhett built up the wood stove in the hopes it would burn well through the night, rinsed their dishes in the sink, and turned off the light. By the time he had brushed his teeth and entered the bedroom, Link was already asleep, huddled up under a thick pile of blankets. 

Rhett changed into a t-shirt and cotton lounge pants and climbed into bed. Link was sprawled on his side facing him, face buried in his pillow and shrouded by his hair. Rhett had to shove Link’s knee out of the way in order to fit onto the bed at all. He sighed as he realized just how short the mattress was, his feet dangling comically off the end of it. He thought longingly of his own bed in sunny LA and hoped his back wouldn’t hurt too much in the morning.

Rhett lay on his back with his hands clasped over his chest, naturally assuming the “sharing a bed with Link” position, even though they hadn’t done it in years. And in typical Link fashion, the other man moved close to him in his sleep, snuggling into Rhett’s shoulder and pressing his knee into the side of Rhett’s thigh. “Weirdo,” Rhett murmured with affection. He fell asleep to the sensation of Link’s warm breath across his chest.

The first thing he noticed upon waking was that his nose was uncomfortably cold. The air in the room had chilled overnight and an icy draft from the room’s single window scoured his cheeks. He was in much the same position he had been in when he fell asleep, but Link had managed to get even closer to him, with his arm across Rhett’s stomach and his leg flung over both of Rhett’s thighs. His cheek rested on Rhett’s shoulder as he breathed slowly through parted lips, long eyelashes brushing the tops of his cheeks and his hair strewn wildly across his face. 

Rhett stirred, imagining the wonders of hot coffee, and attempted to extricate himself from the bed. Link’s arm tightened around his waist and his eyes fluttered open. Rhett watched with a wry smile as his friend’s expression changed from confusion to dawning comprehension of where he was and what their relative positions were. But instead of moving quickly away from him as Rhett expected, Link stayed in place.

“I’m conflicted,” he muttered. 

“Why is that, Link?”

“This is awkward. But you are also very warm, and I can’t feel my nose.” Link turned his face into Rhett’s shoulder and pressed his cold nose into it.

Rhett chuckled. Awkward as it might be, he was also not inclined to brave the frigid world outside the covers. And yet, he was starting to feel more conscious of Link’s leg over his thighs, and how they were both keeping carefully still. “If you let me up, I’ll make you coffee.” 

“Mmm, coffee,” Link purred. He slid his leg off of Rhett and brought his arm back to his side. “Coffee is worth the sacrifice.” 

Rhett stood up, shivering as the icy air touched his bare arms. Link curled up under the blankets in a fetal position, the top of his head the only visible part of him.

The fire in the wood stove had died down to embers, but Rhett quickly got it roaring again. The temperature of the main room rose steadily as Rhett started up the coffee maker. A few minutes later he sat on the couch with a large steaming mug of it and opened up his laptop to review the notes from yesterday. It was likely that some of the ideas that had seemed so amazing would look terrible in the light of day, and he might as well start culling them now.

Link shuffled into the room a few minutes later wearing red flannel pajamas and without his glasses. He went to the counter and poured himself coffee, adding milk from the fridge, before moving to stand in front of the wood stove. He put his backside up close to it and wiggled with contentment. 

His smile fell as he caught a glimpse out the window. Rhett watched as Link walked over and pushed the curtain aside, squinting out. “Uh, Rhett? All I see is white.” 

Rhett put his mug down and walked over to stand beside him. There was certainly a lot of snow on the ground. The rocks and bushes were undifferentiated lumps of white. He could barely make out which lump was their car. Worse yet, the snow was still coming down, blowing in gusts that rattled the windowpane. Rhett felt a sinking sensation in his stomach. “That doesn’t look good,” he muttered.

“Nope,” Link agreed. “We should get out of here as soon as we can.” 

They quickly changed into jeans and flannel shirts, not bothering to shower, and packed up their things. 

Rhett opened the front door to reveal a daunting knee-high wall of snow. There was only the one shovel, so he cleared the way out to the car and around it while Link brushed the snow from the windshield and roof. They didn’t have a lot of heavy winter gear and both of them were shivering by the time they loaded the car and got in. 

“The road’s not plowed,” Link pointed out.

“I know. I’m hoping this baby can get over it.” Rhett patted the steering wheel as he put the car in reverse. He backed around until they were facing down the mountain, then accelerated onto the road — or tried to. The car made it over the lip of the snowbank and crunched down into it, tires spinning. Rhett cursed and attempted to back up, only to hear the discouraging whirr of tires with no traction. 

“Uuuuugh,” Link groaned. “We’re never getting out of here. Christy is gonna kill me. Well, she’s gonna kill you first, then me.” 

“Why me first?” Rhett was shifting between drive and reverse, trying unsuccessfully to dislodge the vehicle. 

“Because this whole thing was your idea, and you didn’t take the weather report seriously. We’re gonna be trapped here for God knows how long.” There was an edge of hysteria in Link’s voice.  

“Look man, we’re gonna be fine.” Rhett didn’t quite believe himself. He mentally catalogued their supplies — enough food for a few days, at least. They could melt snow for drinking if they had to. The biggest risk was probably going stir crazy and killing each other.

Link held his face in his hands. “I can’t believe this is how I’m gonna spend my New Year’s, trapped on a mountain with you.” 

Rhett had forgotten it was New Year’s Eve. They had planned to take Christy and Jessie to Lance’s party that night. Instead, here they were. 

“It’s pretty early yet, buddy. They might still plow in time.” Rhett strove to sound upbeat. 

“Well, we’re getting nowhere fast sitting out here.” Link grabbed his bag from the back seat as Rhett put the car in park and turned off the engine.

“Yeah, we might as well go back in and see what news we can get,” Rhett replied.  

They tromped back inside, carrying the bags from the car and shaking the snow from their coats and boots. Rhett built the fire in the stove back up again as Link tried to call Christy. The phone could barely get a signal and he eventually gave up and sent a text instead. Rhett did the same for Jessie, telling her they were okay but stuck on the mountain indefinitely. Her reply came quickly, telling him to stay safe and warm. 

Rhett managed to connect briefly to a weather website. The satellite image of the storm took up most of the screen and looked quite ominous. He guessed they wouldn’t get the plows running up here until that night at the earliest. 

Rhett contemplated the dwindling pile of firewood next to the stove. At the rate they were burning it, it wasn’t likely to last through the night. He remembered seeing wood stacked under a tarp to the side of the driveway when they arrived the previous day. He put on his coat, grabbed the axe from the closet, and went to where Link slumped on the couch. “We need more firewood,” he said as the other man looked up. “I’m gonna go chop some.”

Link raised a brow. “You sure you remember how to do that?”

Rhett hefted the axe. “Sure. It hasn’t been that long. If you could come with me and make sure I don’t lop off a finger, and maybe carry the wood inside, I’d appreciate it.” 

Link heaved himself to his feet and pulled his jacket back on. He shoved a knit cap low on his head as he followed Rhett out the door.

Rhett had to shovel a path to the wood pile and then uncover the chopping block. The conditions were not the best for splitting logs for the first time in years, but it was necessary if they wanted to not freeze that night. After a few unsuccessful whacks at the first log, he eventually got into the rhythm of it. Link gathered the wood and brought it inside every time he had enough for an armful. Rhett found himself enjoying the physical labor, feeling like he was accomplishing something instead of just sitting and waiting for rescue. His head felt clear in the crisp air. Link also seemed cheered by it, cracking jokes about Rhett’s lumberjack physique. 

Eventually they had enough wood for at least two days by Rhett’s judgment, and they wearily trudged back inside. They hung their wet coats near the stove and took off their boots. Rhett realized he was uncomfortably warm and his shirt was soaked through with sweat, so he pulled it off and hung it by his coat. He turned to see Link regarding him with a curious expression.

Rhett shrugged, trying not to feel overly conscious of his shirtlessness. “I’m hot.” 

Link laughed. “Well, I’m hotter.” He pulled his shirt off over his head and hung it up as well. Rhett noticed a faint sheen of sweat across Link’s hairless torso. His slim muscles caught the flickering glow from the woodstove.

Link turned and saw Rhett looking at him. His own eyes traveled over Rhett’s chest and down. “I still can’t get over how weird we look,” he said. “Like dolls. It needs to hurry up and grow back.” 

Rhett wasn’t sure about that. He had been spending more time appreciating himself in the mirror lately. Link looked good, too. More boyish, certainly, but not in an unattractive way. Rhett blinked at the thought. Was the cabin fever starting already? He laughed, a little nervously. “Yeah, a little hair might have helped us stay warm here.” 

Link went to the counter and pawed through the bags of groceries. He pulled out a can of chicken soup and held it up. “I’m gonna heat this up, do you want any?” 

“Sure, thanks.” 

Rhett poked at the fire in the stove for a minute or so and then heard grumbling from Link. He looked to see his friend struggling with the can, muttering to himself. Rhett walked over and stood behind him, looking over his shoulder. “What’s up?”

Link jumped slightly and glanced at him. “The darn pull tab broke and I can’t get the can open.” He rifled through the drawers until he found a cheap-looking can opener. “Maybe this will work,” he said. Rhett watched as Link fussed with the device, trying to get it to latch onto the edge of the can.

After a minute, Rhett reached for it. “Can I try?” 

Link snatched it away. “No, let me do it.” 

Rhett decided to be funny. He stepped up so his chest was against Link’s bare back, causing his friend to freeze. Rhett reached around Link with both arms and put his hands over the other man’s. “Are you sure my big, strong hands wouldn’t work better?”

Link’s arms tensed, but between Rhett’s body and the counter, he had nowhere to go. “C’mon, man, quit messing around.” 

Rhett laughed. “I can never get over how much bigger my hands are than yours.” He tried to pull the can and opener out of Link’s hands. 

“Stop it, let me do this.” Link shoved back against Rhett as he set the can on the counter and leaned his weight onto the opener. With a grunt of effort, he was finally able to get the teeth to latch onto the rim. He cranked the handle until the can’s top was almost free, but it snagged on the last millimeter. 

Rhett, still standing close behind him, teased, “Can’t close the deal, huh?”

“Shut up, Rhett.” Link stood on his toes for more leverage and pushed hard. The can shot out from under the opener and spun across the counter, spraying them both with cold chicken soup. Link bore the brunt of it, but Rhett still got some spattered across his cheek and lips. He tasted the thick salty liquid and started to laugh. 

It took him a few seconds to realize Link hadn’t moved. He craned his neck around to see Link staring down at an open gash in his right palm. His hand must have come down hard on the lid when the can jumped. They both watched, speechless, as blood welled up and began to drip down Link’s wrist. Link made a soft noise in his throat and swayed slightly. Rhett felt a stirring of panic. “It’s okay, Link. It’s okay, buddy, stay with me.” 

Link spoke through heavy lips. “I don’t feel —“ His knees started to buckle. Rhett caught him under the armpits and carefully lowered him to the floor. By the time he got there, Link’s eyes were closed and he was out cold. 

“Oh shit, oh shit,” Rhett muttered to himself. He grabbed a roll of paper towels off the counter and pressed one against the cut, holding it firmly for a minute or so. Link’s eyes were fluttering as Rhett lifted the towel to check underneath. The bleeding had slowed. “I’ll be right back, Link. Don’t go anywhere.” 

Rhett grabbed the first aid kit from the closet and a blanket from the bed and brought them back to where Link lay. His eyes were open now, tracking Rhett’s movements, but he looked very pale. His bare chest was coated with viscous yellowish soup and the occasional noodle. Rhett attempted to wipe the worst of it off with the power towels before bundling Link into the blanket. 

He took Link’s wounded hand and looked at it closely. It was still bleeding, but didn’t seem terribly serious now that Rhett had some time to view it calmly. He opened a packet of antiseptic wipes, took one out, and pressed it into the wound, feeling sick to his stomach as Link gasped in pain. “Sorry, man,” he whispered. For all their competitiveness and bravado, when it came to real pain, he would always choose to feel it himself rather than watch Link suffer it.

He put some antibiotic ointment on a piece of gauze and taped it over the wound, wrapping more tape around Link’s hand until it seemed secure. By that time, Link had become more functional. He looked up at Rhett with a somewhat delirious grin. “You have something on your face.” 

Rhett wiped his hand over his face and pulled a noodle out of his beard. “Gross,” he said.

“Yeah.” Link nodded. “That was pretty stupid of me, huh.” 

“At least I was here to keep you from hitting your head.” 

“If you hadn’t been invading my personal space, maybe it wouldn’t have happened at all.” 

“Oh? Do I get you that hot and bothered?” 

Link blushed and turned his head away. “That’s not what I meant.” 

“Sure, sure.” Rhett stood up and tried to clean the counter without tripping over Link. He took out another can of soup and opened it quite easily. He started heating it on the stove as Link carefully got to his feet, clutching the blanket around himself.

“I’m gonna try to clean this stuff off so I can stop smelling like chicken,” he said. He disappeared into the bathroom and emerged a few minutes later having changed into his pajamas, looking cleaner. He went to Rhett’s side. “I can keep an eye on that if you want to go clean up.” 

Rhett washed his face and changed into his cotton pants too, and put his flannel shirt back on. He felt exhausted even though it was only mid-afternoon. His shoulders ached from chopping wood. 

They sat on the couch and ate the soup in companionable silence. Rhett tried to pull up the weather report on his phone again, but now there was no signal at all. They passed the next few hours in conversation, reminiscing about GMM season four and talking about what they might want to do differently in season five. While they would normally be able to talk for days straight without incident, the atmosphere in the cabin grew gradually more tense as they started having misunderstandings and minor arguments, spurred by the increasing tension of their confinement. 

The sun had long since set by the time Rhett got up to bring their empty bowls to the kitchen. He was halfway there when the cabin suddenly plunged into darkness. From the couch, Link muttered, “Dangit!’

Rhett set the bowls down in the sink with a clatter. As his eyes adjusted, there was enough glow from the fire in the stove that the main room was dimly lit. He went to the light switch by the door and flicked it a few times, unsurprised when there was no result. The hallway light was similarly defunct. No power. “Maybe it’ll come right back,” he said without much hope.

“I doubt it,” Link grumbled. Rhett went to the closet to get the crank flashlight as Link continued to mutter to himself. “Worst. Vacation. Ever.” 

Rhett found the flashlight and started cranking it. He flopped down next to Link on the couch and they sat for a few minutes in silence except for the whirr of the crank. Rhett stopped turning it and pushed the power switch. A thin yellow light came out, barely brighter than the glow of the wood stove. He sighed and pushed the switch again to turn it off, then set the flashlight on the coffee table. 

They sat without speaking. Rhett looked over to see Link staring straight ahead at the glowing wood stove. His jaw was tense. The air in the room was decidedly chilled. Rhett cleared his throat. “So, ah… what would you like to do now?” 

Links lips flattened as his teeth ground together. “What would I like to do now? I’d like to be with my family. I’d like to be getting ready for a party with my wife. I’d like to not feel like my hand has been through a paper shredder. I’d like to be somewhere with electricity. I’d like to not be stuck here indefinitely in the dark with you, Rhett.” 

Rhett turned to more directly face Link on the couch, and saw the man’s eyes flaring with anger in the firelight. He felt his own annoyance rise. “Look, man, it’s not my fault we’re stuck here. I didn’t make it snow.”

“It is, actually, your fault,” Link pointed at him. “You knew it was going to snow and you didn’t think we might get stuck here. Or maybe you did and you didn’t care, because you didn’t think about how it would impact anyone but yourself. I’ve got obligations, dude.” 

Rhett was incredulous. “Like I don’t? You think I’m happy being away from Jessie and the boys right now?” 

Link stood up abruptly. “I don’t know what makes you happy anymore.” 

Rhett also got to his feet. “What the hell is that supposed to mean?” 

Link waved his hands. “You just do whatever you want, and damn all the consequences. You don’t act like anything affects you.”

Rhett shook his head. “Just because I don’t get all worked up and bitch about everything doesn’t mean it doesn’t bother me. I just focus on trying to solve the problem instead of whining.” 

Link’s eyes widened. “You think I’m whining right now? Whining is something little kids do. Lando whines.” 

Rhett turned away. Everything he had done to pull this trip together and spend quality time with Link apparently didn’t count for anything. Anger bubbled up inside him and he spoke without thinking. “Well, he must have taught you well, because you sound just like him. And who faints from a fucking papercut, anyway?”   

Link looked as if Rhett had slapped him. Rhett immediately regretted his words — making fun of Link’s phobia was a low blow. He opened his mouth to take it back, but before he could, Link said, “Fuck you, man.” He snatched the flashlight off the table and stormed into the bedroom, slamming the door behind him. A second later it opened again and he tossed a blanket out into the hallway. “You get the couch tonight.” Slam.  

Rhett stood still in the flickering light for a minute as the adrenaline drained from his body, replaced by a faint nausea. He didn’t understand how things had escalated so quickly. It was the holidays; this trip was supposed to strengthen their friendship, not undermine it. He scrubbed at his eyes with the back of his hand and muttered a string of profanities. How was he going to fix this now? 

He walked over and picked up the blanket from the floor, bunching it in his hands as he stood in front of the closed door. His heart was still pounding from the heated exchange, his feelings still quite hurt. He wasn’t ready to apologize, but he worried about the consequences if they left things this way for too long.

“Link?” He called. There was no response.

“Link, it’s going to get cold in there if you leave the door closed.” 

Link’s voice was flat. “I’ll be fine.”

Rhett stood silently for a few minutes, trying to think of what he could say to make them both feel better without making it sound like he accepted all the blame. Eventually he gave up and carried the blanket back to the couch. He built up the fire good and hot, then crawled under the blanket and closed his eyes.

Of course he couldn’t sleep; it was early yet and his mind was racing. He replayed their conversation and fumed about Link’s insulting claims, thinking about what he should have said and points he should have made. His brain also began rolling down a negative spiral of speculation. What if they didn’t get past this? What if this conflict had been building for years under the surface and now they were at odds and would never be comfortable together again? 

Rhett shook his head, scoffing at his paranoia. They’d certainly been through worse fights over the duration of their friendship and had come out the other side just fine. And in the past year they’d seemed to grow closer than ever. Rhett told himself they just needed some time to cool down and everything would be fine. He refused to let himself think any further about the possibility of the alternative. 

He curled up on his side with his back wedged against the pillows, facing the fire. The warmth was soothing on his closed eyelids as he took deep, calming breaths. He thought about Link, cold and alone in the bedroom. He was going to be sore and tired in the morning, no doubt… and probably in a worse mood than he was now as a result. But Rhett refused to make it his responsibility if Link was going to run off and sulk. 

He must have drifted off eventually, because he was woken from a sound sleep by Link saying his name. He opened his eyes and saw Link standing between him and the fire, wrapped in a blanket. Link was facing him, but Rhett only saw his silhouette. “Hey…” Rhett said, fighting to think clearly. 

“You were r-r-right. I’m c-c-cold.” Link’s teeth were audibly chattering. Rhett propped himself up on an elbow and peered closer at Link while his eyes adjusted to the firelight. It looked like Link was shivering uncontrollably and his expression was slack. Rhett was alarmed. With as little body fat as Link had, it wouldn’t take much to push him into full-blown hypothermia. 

Rhett sat up a bit more and lifted up the blanket. “Link, come here. Lie down with me.” 

Link hesitated. “That sssseems a little w-w-weird.” 

“Maybe, but it’s also the fastest way to warm you up, and you look like you need it.” 

Link must have felt pretty bad, because that was all the convincing he required. He awkwardly clambered onto the couch, lying down facing Rhett. His movements were slow and uncoordinated, and Rhett had to help him arrange his limbs in such a way that they would both fit. He put one arm under Link’s head and his other around his shoulders and hugged the shivering man to his chest. Link’s bandaged hand stuck out of the blanket next to Rhett’s head, but the rest of him was under the covers. Rhett could feel the coldness of Link’s face through his flannel shirt. 

At first Link tried to hold himself stiffly away from Rhett, to keep a chaste distance between their bodies. The promise of warmth got the better of him, though, and he eventually allowed Rhett to hold him closer. His muscles relaxed as he settled against the other man, teeth slowly ceasing to chatter. 

Rhett was more conscious of Link’s body than he had ever been before. He knew his friend was skinny, obviously, but now he felt the outlines of Link’s ribs under his arm and the blade of his shoulder under his hand. His pelvic bones pressed into Rhett’s thigh. Rhett felt as if he could bring his arms entirely around Link and back to himself as if there were nothing in the way. 

Even Link’s hair felt cold. Rhett pressed his face into it, smelling faint shampoo and woodsmoke and Link himself. He splayed his hand between Link’s shoulder blades and breathed into his hair, thinking warm thoughts, holding the other man as close as possible.

Rhett had started to doze off again by the time Link stirred. He spoke against Rhett’s chest, sounding more like himself. “You’re always rescuing me.” 

“It’s my job, man.” The conversation felt strangely intimate, given how Link was pressed up against him. 

Link shook his head. “You shouldn’t have to. I’m a grown man.” 

“Maybe, but you can count on me. You know that.” 

There was a long pause, then Link said, “I do.” 

They lay in silence for a few more minutes, breathing in sync. Link’s bandaged hand up by Rhett’s face fell casually, his fingertips brushing Rhett’s cheek. Rather than take it away, he moved it more deliberately, stroking a finger down the back of Rhett’s ear and into his hair, where it stayed. Rhett barely thought of it until Link began to trace small spirals along his hairline, a sensation Rhett found confusingly pleasant. Confusing, in that it was Link’s fingers in his hair. Pleasant, because, well, it was.

Eventually Link spoke again, face still pressed to Rhett’s chest. “I feel like my muscles are going to lock up if I lie here much longer.”

“Mmm?” Rhett responded.

“I want to stand in front of the stove, but… can you stand with me? I don’t want to fall over again.” 

“Sure, Link.” Rhett pulled the blanket off them and helped Link to his feet. He seemed slightly unsteady, but significantly improved from how he had been, and no longer shivering. They both moved to within a few feet of the stove, standing hip to hip. 

Rhett put his arm around Link’s shoulders and Link put his arm around Rhett’s waist, leaning into him with a sigh.  “This is nice,” he said. “Warm.” 

They contemplated the flames through the stove window for a few minutes. Rhett looked down at Link’s profile and was momentarily struck by his otherworldly appearance in the firelight. His cheeks and chin glowed copper and his long eyelashes seemed lined in gold. His hair curled around his jaw in a dark veil. 

As if feeling Rhett’s gaze, Link turned his head and looked up at him. His eyes were deep pools, dilated wide in the darkness. The flickering light now caressed the curve of his lips, drawing Rhett’s eye to their fullness. The confusion Rhett had felt moments ago returned, more insistent this time. He tried to cover it up by smiling down at his friend.

Link’s eyes traveled over Rhett’s face, seeming to linger on his lips as well, before he returned the smile. A number of different emotions seemed to pass over Link’s face in rapid succession. Rhett recognized the expression as one of deep inner conflict. He quirked a brow at his friend. “What is it?” he asked. 

Link hesitated, then said, “I’m sorry about earlier. I was a brat.” 

Rhett shook his head. “It’s okay, man. I don’t blame you for being annoyed about being stuck here. I said some stupid things and I’m sorry.” 

Link’s arm tightened around his waist. “I don’t really mind being stuck here with you. If it weren’t New Year’s, it might be fun. I just feel bad missing the traditions… you know how I like to do things the same every time.” 

Rhett felt relaxed and slightly drunk, a combination of sleepiness and warmth from the fire and the strangely comfortable sensation of Link’s body pressed to his side. Before he could consider the implications too far, he said, “What… traditions do you do for New Year’s? Anything we can re-create here?” 

Link thought for a while. Rhett turned back to the fire, but he could feel Link’s gaze on him. Finally Link said in a strange voice, “Would you like to dance with me?” 

Rhett turned to look at him. Link’s expression was nervous, but he was also grinning, as if he were hedging his bets. If Rhett laughed at him, he’d be able to play it off as a joke. But the question on its surface sounded sincere. Rhett shrugged. If it would make Link happy, why not? “Okay, if I can lead.” 

Link’s grin took on an edge of relief. “Oh, I guess so.” 

Rhett put his hand on Link’s waist and held out his arm. Link clasped his outstretched hand lightly with his bandaged one, and rested his other hand on the top of Rhett’s shoulder. They kept as much distance between their bodies as possible, as if they were at a middle school dance. It was nearly as awkward as the mythical wheel ending where Rhett taught Link to dance, and that time they had emphasized their awkwardness for comedic effect.

Additionally, Rhett felt the loss of Link’s warm body next to his now that they were standing this way. It didn’t feel right at all. Link made the occasional self-conscious laugh as they attempted to get into position, and Rhett joined in. “This is probably not satisfying your need for tradition, Link.” 

Link shook his head. “Not really.” Then an idea dawned on his expression. “Wait a second.” 

He took a step to the coffee table and located the iPod and battery-powered speakers, which fortunately had some charge remaining. Rhett watched him scroll through the songs for some time, considering his options, before tapping on one. He put the devices back on the table and stepped into Rhett’s arms as the song began to play. 

From the first note, Rhett recognized it. He would know it anywhere — one of his favorites. Merle Haggard’s _Turn to Me_. 

This time, Link stood closer to Rhett and put his arm along Rhett’s back, hand flat on his shoulder. Their other hands clasped anew, but with bent elbows rather than stuck out straight. Rhett put his arm around Link’s slim waist. They moved slowly to the music under Rhett’s lead, staying close to the warmth and light of the fire. 

_When the whole world turns against you_  
_and life won't let you be_  
_when you need someone to turn to_  
_turn to me._

_When questions go unanswered_  
_and you wonder what will be_  
_when you need someone to turn to_  
_turn to me._

With each line of the song, Link seemed to move closer… or perhaps Rhett drew him closer.  Soon he rested his head against Rhett’s chest, clasping Rhett’s hand in front of his face, eyes closed. Rhett leaned his cheek into Link’s hair, arm entirely encircling the man’s waist. Their hips pressed against each other as they swayed back and forth. 

_I stand on every corner_  
_I'm just around the bend_  
_I've always been here for you_  
_I've always been your friend._

_When walls close in around you_  
_I'm the one who sets you fre_ e  
_when you need someone to turn to_  
_turn to me, turn to me..._

As the song drew to a close, Rhett found himself wishing it would go on and on. Holding Link like this, the way they seemed to fit together perfectly… it was like a dream. He didn’t want to wake up to a reality where they would laugh and then never talk about it again. 

But the song did end, and there was silence except for the crackling of the fire. Neither man moved for some time. Rhett felt Link’s heart beating against him, and imagined Link could hear his. He was nervous and calm at the same time. 

Link eventually stirred and moved his head away slightly, turning to look up at Rhett. He kept the rest of himself where it was, arm around Rhett’s shoulders and body pressed against him, their hands clasped against Rhett’s chest. His eyes were half-closed and he had a soft smile on his lips. “That was definitely worthy of the tradition.” 

Rhett smiled down at him. “Oh good, I’m glad.” His voice was deep and slightly rough. They regarded each other from inches away. 

Link looked as though he was expecting something more, but afraid to ask. Rhett gave him the opening. “Any other traditions you’d like to fulfill tonight?” 

Link looked away, and even in the firelight Rhett could make out a slight flush to his cheeks. “There is one,” he admitted in a whisper. “The… biggest one.” 

On a whim, Rhett leaned down and nuzzled the ear that Link had presented to him. He was rewarded with a soft gasp and a shiver. “Do you mean,” Rhett breathed, “the midnight kiss?” 

He felt Link’s chest rise against him with quick breaths. “I do.” 

Rhett’s own heart quickened. It felt as though part of him were watching the scene play out from above, along for the ride, unable — or unwilling — to stop what was happening. There was something about the firelight, the swirling snow outside, the electric sensation of Link in his arms… it was as if they were the last two people on earth. And if that were the case, then they didn’t have to worry about the consequences.

Rhett kept his mouth close to Link’s cheek as he spoke softly. “Well, I have no idea what time it is, so I can’t promise you midnight.” 

He felt Link’s hand tense in his. The other man turned his face so he was again looking up at Rhett, just far enough away to be able to focus on him. The firelight reflected in his wide eyes and Rhett tasted the sweetness of his breath.  “Any… any time would do, I think. I’m… not picky.” 

Rhett took his hand from Link’s and brought it up to the side of his friend’s face. He placed his thumb under Link’s delicate jaw and tilted the man’s head up. Before either of them could think about it too much, he leaned down and touched Link’s lips lightly with his own, just for a brief moment before pulling away.

Link didn’t move for a few seconds. His eyes were closed and he breathed quickly through parted lips. Then he blinked a few times and focused on Rhett’s face, drawing the corner of his lower lip into his teeth.  He spoke hesitantly. “I don’t… I don’t think… that was enough.” 

That was all the encouragement Rhett needed. He bent to kiss Link again, still gently, but lingering now. Link’s lips felt full and warm, the stubble around them lending a firmness that Rhett had never experienced in a kiss before. Link’s arm tightened across Rhett’s back, pulling him closer as his mouth opened in invitation. 

Rhett moved his hand to the back of Link’s head, twining his fingers in his hair as their tongues met and feeling a rush of desire as Link made a soft noise in response. The taste of him ignited a flame that blazed through Rhett’s chest and made him feel dizzy and weak. The kiss lasted for some time, and when Rhett finally pulled away, they stared at each other, breathing shallowly. 

Link eventually spoke. “Oh, my.” 

Rhett tried and failed to find useful words. “Oh my,” he agreed. 

Link rested his head against Rhett’s chest with a deep, shaky breath. Rhett could feel him trembling. “Maybe we should sit down,” Rhett suggested.

Link nodded in agreement. Rhett led him to the couch and they sat down next to each other, Rhett’s arm around his shoulders and Link’s around his waist. Neither spoke for quite a while as Rhett slowly stroked his friend’s hair. It felt to him as if they were trying not to disturb the ephemeral magic of the kiss with something so mundane as speech.

Ultimately, though, there was the problem of reality. Rhett spoke softly. “Link…” The other man sat up slightly and looked at him, expression uncertain. Rhett continued, searching for the right words. “We’re okay… right?” 

Link’s eyes shone in the firelight. “I hope so. I feel… okay.” 

Rhett smiled. “Good.” He suppressed a yawn. “Maybe we should go to bed.” He saw Link’s eyes widen and hastened to add, “For sleeping! For sleeping.” 

Link giggled, dispelling some of the tension. “I knew that’s what you meant.” Rhett wondered if the hint of disappointment he heard was actually in Link’s voice, or just wishful thinking on his part. 

Together they moved into the bedroom and climbed under the covers. Rhett automatically assumed his traditional position on his back, hands clasped over his heart, but Link took one of Rhett’s arms and put it around his shoulders before resting his head on Rhett’s chest. He hooked his leg over Rhett’s thighs and settled close to him with a happy sigh. Rhett grinned to himself and pressed his face into Link’s hair, breathing deeply, suffused with a profound sense of contentment. It wasn’t long before they were both asleep.

Rhett awoke to sunlight streaming into the room and the unmistakable scraping and beeping noises of a plow on the nearby mountain road. Link was still curled around him, also stirring to consciousness. Memories of the previous night rushed in, and Rhett began to feel nervous about how things were going to look in the harsh light of day. 

The sight of Link’s soft smile instantly dispelled his worries. His friend regarded him with sleepy eyes, hair tousled around his face. “Hi, Rhett,” he said.

Rhett grinned down at him. “Hi, Link. It sounds like we’re being rescued.”

Link’s arms tightened around him. “It sure does. Time to get back to the real world, I guess.” His voice held a tinge of wistfulness. He moved away from Rhett and sat up, swinging his legs off the other side of the bed. The sudden separation of their bodies caused a startling pang of loss in Rhett’s chest. The real world felt cold. 

As Link moved to stand up, he paused. He twisted his body to look back at Rhett, then impulsively leaned over him, putting his forearms on the pillow to either side of Rhett’s head. His hair fell in a dark curtain around his face as he bent down and kissed Rhett briefly, but deeply. When he pulled away, he was grinning. “Happy New Year, Rhett.” 

Link got to his feet and went to the bathroom, closing the door behind him. The shower started a moment later. Rhett lay in bed, tasting his best friend on his lips, laughing to himself in pure joy. 2014 was going to be an incredible year.


End file.
